Wire-fabric machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. D. WHITNEY.

' WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

No. 484,528. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

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WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. N0. 484,528. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

3 M1 v J M i z/ar .7" Z c K Z" I \B B A UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE D. WHITNEY, OF CLARENDON, NEW YORK.

WIRE-FABRIC MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,528, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed April 5. 1892. Serial No. 427,849. (No model.)

'of Clarendon, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wire-Fabric Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying this specification.

My improvement relates to that class of wire-weaving machines in which rotating twisters are used for connecting the fillingwires with the longitudinal strands. In such machines the twisters have a degree of transverse movement equal to the distance apart of the longitudinal wires in order to produce the filling.

In ordinary machines of the kind each twister is made of three partsa center section, through which the longitudinal wire runs, and two side sections, which carry the filling-wires. All three of these parts revolve, and the revolution of the center section gives motion to the side sections. Such devices are necessarily complex and expensive.

It is the object of my invention to simplify the apparatus by dispensing with the central section of the twister and to use only the two side sections, or those which carry the fillingwires, and to do this I have produced a novel connection between the said side sections and the gears by which they are driven, so that 'as said side sections are alternately thrown up and down to cross from one longitudinal wire to another, as is done in all machines of this class, proper revolving motion will be given to each section without the interposition of other parts.

Theinvention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter 'described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine as adapted to the building of wire fence in the field. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection in line 00 0c of Fig. 1 and showing the gears that give motion to the twisters. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section through one set of the twisters and the slides that support it. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the twisters.

A indicates the frame of the machine,

I which may be either stationary or portable.

In the latter case, and as shown in the drawings, it is provided with rollers a a, which roll on a plank or other track I), and is fed forward as fast as the fence is woven by means of a gear 0, attached to the frame,

which engages with a cog-rack d of the track.

The gear is operated by means of a lever e, provided with a pawl that engages with a ratchet on the hub of the wheel. These devices are similar to others now in use.

B B are two slides, which work up and down vertically in ways in the frame A. At the top these slides are connected by links f f and a rock-arm g, pivoted centrally to some stationary part of the frame, by which means the reciprocations of the slides are in reverse directionsthat is, when one slide moves up the other moves down, and vice versa. On one side one slide is operated by a hand-lever O, which plays betweenstops to gage the exact throw of the slides.

D D are the twisters, of which any desired number may be used, varying with the number of longitudinal strands in the fence. Each of these twisters consists of two side sections D D, which are entirely independent of each otherand are located apart a distance only sufficient to allow the longitudinal strands h h to pass freely through between them. Each of these sections consists of a bar '6 and two heads is is, one at each end, each head constituting only a segment of a circle. This is clearly shown in Fig. 5. To seat the heads and retain them in place and allow them to turn to twist the wires, the back of each head has a concentric rib j, Fig. 4, which fits in a corresponding concentric groove j of the slide. By this means the sections forming the twister can rotate without being displaced and without closing together. Each of the bars 1' has a spool Z of the filling-wire, and the loose end of the wire passes through a hole j in the head, as usual in this class of machines. The rotation of the twister twists this wire onto the longitudinal strands. Half-circular openings o '0 are made in the slides B B opposite the heads to allow rotation of the sections and and passage of filling-wires.

E E E are the gears by which the twisters are operated. Theycorrespondinnumberwiththe number of longitudinal strands in the fence,

and are located in line therewith. They have short tubular axles or bearings, through which the longitudinal wires pass freely. All these gears are of the same size and engage together, so that when one is rotated they are all ro tated to the same degree. Onthe axle of one of these gears is an external bevel-gear m, w th which engages a bevel-pinion n, provided with a crank, by turning which motion is imparted to the whole set of gearing. On the inner side each of these gears is provided with two parallel grooves or ways 0 0, Fig. 3, 1n which rest corresponding parallel ribs 19 19 on the backs of the inner heads 7c of the twister-sections.

The operation is as follows: The ends of the filling-wires after passing through the twistenheads are attached to the longitudinal wires and the twisters are then rotated to wind them in place. 'When this is done, the machine is moved forward adistance equal to the length of the mesh to be made. The lever G is then operated, which throws one slide B up and the other one down, thereby bringing one twister-section in line with the longitudinal wire above and the other with that one below, but leaving each in company with another twister-section. This crosses the filling-wires from one longitudinal wire to another. Another twist is then given, the machine is again moved forward,and theslides again reversed, which brings the twisters back to their original position and ready to make a new twist. Each upward and downward movement of the slides carries the twistersections with them, and the ribs 19 p on the back of the twister-heads pass into the grooves or ways 0 0 from one gear to another. The movements of the gears are so timed that their grooves come into position to receive the ribs at the end of the throw of the slides. By the connection of the heads of the twistersections directly with the gears, as just described, I am enabled to dispense with a central revolving section to each twister, which in ordinary machines of the kind rests between the two side sections, and is used to revolve the same. I thus greatly simplify the machine and make it more perfect in use.

I am aware that in some machines guides similar to the grooves or ways 0 have been used, not in the gear-wheels, but on the ends of shafts; but in such case double guides have to be employed at some distance apart, and the twisters consist of bars which are moved up into these guides by a cam-frame. My device is much simpler and more easily operated and less liable to get out of order. Under ordinary circumstances the longitudinal wires have sufiicient tension to allow the twisting of the filling-wires without trouble, but if desired a fixed tube or bearing maybe extended between the slides to a point near the place Where the twisting occurs, as indicatcd by the dotted lines, Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the machine 1s used in the field for making wire fence where the longitudinal wires arealready stretched; but the invention can be as readily applied in a stationary machine for weaving wire fabric.

Having described my invention,l disclaim the broadfeature of reversible slides and sectional rotating twisters connected therewith. I also disclaim the broad feature of transferring the sectional twisters from one guideway to another.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a wire-fabric machine, the combination of reversible slides, a set of sectional side twisters connected with each slide by means of concentric ribs on twisters and grooves in the slides, a set of intermeshing gears corresponding in number and position with the longitudinal wires, a set of grooves or ways in each of said gears, and a corresponding set of ribs on each twister, whereby the power is applied directly to one end of the side twisters, the twisters being adapted to be transferred from one gear to another with the reversal of the slides, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sectional side twisters D, provided with double heads 70 7c, the slides B, and mechanism for reciprocally moving said slides in opposite directions, of the concentric ribs j 3', formed on the heads, and the corresponding concentric grooves j j, formed in the slides, whereby the side twisters are held in the slides in position to be turned by the gears, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. D. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

R. F. OSGOOD, CHAS. R. OSGOOD. 

